Bespoke Uniforms
by Polywantsanother
Summary: Is part of my Steam series but is a STANDALONE. Events are PRE "Dragons" and is canon compliant. Canon ships exist but are not overtly discussed. Ty Lee is struggling to find her place in Kyoshi. Suki spends the week with her and tries to help her out.
1. Chapter 1

Suki woke up a little after dawn and nudged Sokka awake as she got up. He groaned and turned over onto his stomach, pulling his pillow over his head. Rolling her eyes, Suki lightly stepped on his back as she got off the futon. With a grunt, Sokka floundered in the dense quilt and Suki giggled as she danced to the door.

"RUDE." He said, popping his head up. Suki blew him a kiss as she slid open the door and walked out into the hall.

"You need to get ready." She called as she walked out into the main room. It was early winter and the frost was a regular occurrence, so Suki shivered in the early morning air. The colder months were more enjoyable for her, though she wasn't looking forward to the weeks of Sokka boasting about how cold it got in the South Pole.

Suki made a mental note as she passed through the main room and into the kitchen; she hadn't been to visit the South Pole yet.

Shaking out her hands, Suki took up the long pole and shoved up the wooden cover in the roof. Cold air immediately poured down the gap and Suki shuddered. She had to keep moving, even though the thought of Sokka warm in bed tempted her back.

Lighting the fire was difficult with her frozen fingers and it took Suki a few tries before the spark caught. Luckily, she had to build up the fire before she could bank it for cooking, and she greedily over stacked the smaller logs. Rocking back on her heels, Suki closed her eyes as she basked in the radiating heat from the new fire.

Is this how a Firebender felt all the time? Suki opened her eyes and stared at the bright tongues, looking too much like velvet for her tired brain. She stood up, feeling her joints pop, and set about making breakfast.

By the time she set out the food and tea, Sokka had bathed and shaved, smelling like cedar soap as he kissed her. Suki caught him in her arms and dragged him down to where she sat, kissing him more fully on the mouth.

"It's going to be that kind of morning huh?" Sokka asked while Suki still held him close.

"Mmm, I think you have some time to spare." She remarked with a coy smile. Sokka raised one eyebrow before bending down to scoop her up in his arms. Suki squealed as Sokka walked out of the kitchen and toward the bedroom.

"Good morning guys!" A bright voice greeted them and Sokka froze, turning his head to look into the main room.

"Ty Lee." He stated and Suki chuckled. With a sigh, Sokka set Suki down and she patted his shoulder.

"Would you like some breakfast Ty Lee?" Suki offered. "We were just about to eat."

"If you guys were busy I could come back later." Ty Lee said, looking slyly at Sokka. Scowling, Sokka threw up his hands and walked back over to the table. Suki smiled, still exasperated, and shook her head.

"It's fine. I'll get you some rice." She replied.

Being the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors came with some perks. Suki and Sokka kept a small house away from the shared hall where the other women slept. She remembered, fondly, of the woman who had lived here before. Yaling had been a diminutive woman, but had moved with the fans in a way Suki hadn't seen since. Yaling had gone with the older, veteran Warriors years ago and never returned. More bodies burned up by the Fire Nation she supposed.

Now she was in charge and kept Yaling's house, though Sokka was erasing more and more of her mentor with each passing month. Suki didn't mind, they all had to let go of the past at some point, and now this house was becoming their own.

Not that they were often left alone.

"So why are you up so early?" Suki asked as she handed Ty Lee her own bowl. Sokka seemed uninterested in the answer and focused on assembling his own breakfast.

"Getting up at sunrise is a great way to recharge your spiritual energy. Plus, the cold air is good for lengthening your muscle stretching." Ty Lee replied as she gingerly poured tea into their cups.

"That sounds like a great idea. Did anyone else join you?" Suki inquired. Ty Lee hesitated and looked down at her rice, tapping the top of the mound with her chopsticks.

"I kinda take the time to be alone you know?" She answered, mostly addressing her rice. She seemed alarmed at her own response and Ty Lee snapped her head back up, looking worried and forcing a bright smile. "Not that I dislike being around the other girls!" She added with intensity. Sokka paused and glanced over at her, looking back at Suki before continuing to eat.

"We have been training a lot." Suki began. "I know I like taking a break every once in awhile now that there's not a war on." Ty Lee blanched at that, but Sokka snorted.

Suki cleared her throat and scooped up some rice.

"Well, you are welcome to hang out here more since I'll be gone." Sokka interjected and Suki nudged him sharply in the side.

"You're leaving? Again?" Ty Lee asked.

"Yeah, off to visit Zuko for his birthday." Sokka replied around a mouthful of smoked fish and rice.

"And you're staying here?" Ty Lee questioned Suki.

"When the two of them get together, it's a hassle. If they're celebrating something, then I really don't want to be around." She replied.

"And you don't mind that?" Ty Lee asked of Sokka. He shrugged and leaned against the table.

"We don't have to do everything together." He said. "We are separate people." Ty Lee made a noise and looked back down at her food. Suki and Sokka shared a glance and he shrugged again.

"Did you want to go? Visit Mai?" Suki inquired gently. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sokka rolls his.

"I'm sure she'll be moping around the palace." He muttered and Suki elbowed him again. Throwing her a dirty a look, Sokka rolled against the table edge and stood up, walking toward the counters with his bowl.

"No, Mai and I were never that close without Azula." Ty Lee admitted before finally eating.

"Well how about this Ty Lee." Suki said suddenly. "Why don't you and I head into the next town this week and just, have an outing?" Ty Lee brightened and smiled widely.

"Oh that sounds great Suki!" She exclaimed and started to eat more heartedly. Suki looked back at Sokka and let out a small sigh, having her shoulders droop. Sokka smiled back and walked to her, kissing her cheek before grabbing the bowl of leftover rice.

"I'll wash up." He murmured as Suki cupped his cheek.

"You guys are sooooooo cute!" Ty Lee beamed. Sokka let out a heavy breath and squeezed his eyes shut as Suki laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time the airship had landed, it was well into mid-day. Since it was a commercial flight, and there was a need to prep for the next part of the journey, many of the passengers disembarked to stretch their legs. A large portion of the town came out to greet them, and various groups formed around food carts while other, more solvent people looked at various wares.

Kyoshi warriors made their rounds to discourage theft and unsavory trades. The guard had been split so that half of the women were in uniform - thus were they mobbed by fans and gawkers 0 while the rest were in plainclothes, blending in and actually able to enforce the law.

Ty Lee, with her chipper personality, was better suited toward the uniform and spoke with many of the starry eyed young girls. Through the privilege of her position, Suki was able to wander freely in order to see off Sokka.

They both had gone into the airship to stow away the gifts for Zuko, and a package for Chang, as well as his own luggage. Suki was incredulous as she eyed the two bags.

"If I've forgotten anything, the palace will take care of it." Sokka assured her as they walked back down the gangplank. Suki grumbled as she stepped onto the dirt.

"I don't need Rin sending me another bill because you forgot most of your clothes." She retorted. Sokka looked past her, thinking, but then shrugged with a smile before kissing her.

"Will you be okay? Having Ty Lee hanging around?" He asked. Suki turned to watch Ty Lee showing a young girl her fan. She was smiling, but even under the face paint Suki could still see how tense the other woman was. With a sigh, Suki turned back to Sokka.

"It'll be fine. A lot of girls have moments like this, when they realize what they've signed up for." She said. "I did after my parents died."

"Fine. But just remember that Ty Lee is, well, Ty Lee." He added. Suki laughed and gently pushed at his shoulder.

"I got it, don't worry." They both paused as the captain blew his shrill whistle, signalling the passengers to return. "Say hi to Zuko and Chang for me."

Sokka gathered Suki into his arms and she closed her eyes as she leaned into him. There was still that residual fear, that when he would leave she wouldn't see him again. He broke away like a wave receding back into the ocean; the last hint of his touch soaked into her skin. They parted with a kiss and Suki watched as he walked up the gangplank. She smiled as an old woman jostled and Sokka instinctively reached out to steady her, immediately being drawn into conversation. He turned back briefly and Suki could almost see the bemused smile on his face. She waved and then stood watching the passengers, even after she lost sight of Sokka.

She finally walked away when the engines turned on. The rest of the village was either packing up or milling in small groups, talking about how much money they made or the trades they accepted. A woman had accepted a number of jade bracelets in exchange for a sturdy bag and a black of firm tofu. Laughing, she announced that she would use them to finally bribe a woman to marry her son, since so many were intimidated by their warriors.

Smiling to herself, Suki walked through the crowds and helped pack up carts or pull down sunshades. All the while, she looked around. Eventually, she realized she hadn't seen Ty Lee in a long time. Waving to the last merchant to pack up, Suki walked back into the village on her own.

Though it was still early, the sun had begun to set, and it was starting to get chilly. Windows were being shuttered against the cooling air and Suki began to smell the first fires being lit. Moments like this were her favorite, and she felt the new absence of Sokka, wishing she could share it with him.

She didn't begrudge Zuko the frequency of Sokka's trips; in fact, Suki felt guilty that Sokka felt the need to not go home because of how much time he spent in Kyoshi. But she dreaded the day Sokka asked to move to the Fire Nation. She knew it was coming, as she could see it on his face every time he left and every time he came back. If he could somehow collect her, Zuko, and Katara in one place, Sokka would be truly happy.

Having a fragmented home was probably stressful. Suki wondered, oddly for the first time, if perhaps Ty Lee was simply homesick. The end of the war had been unusually kind to Ty Lee, as there were no repercussions for her involvement. She had been a child after all; not that age was a consideration when Suki and the others had gone up against Ozai.

But still, there wasn't a home for her to return to. Ty Lee never spoke much about her home life, except to say that she had six identical sisters.

By the time Suki made it into town, the other warriors she had asked also reported having lost track of Ty Lee. There wasn't a need to be worried, yet, since Ty Lee had been living in Kyoshi for over two years. She knew the area around the town and Suki was confident she would be able to get out of most forest related trouble.

Most of it.

Suki hurried along.

She headed to the main hall, where they all trained and where many of the women - including Ty Lee - slept. The doors had been opened to let the cool air through and Suki could see that it was empty. Still she walked in, thinking that she could at least shut the doors up before it got too cold. As she pulled one of the massive doors along its rail, she found that the track was a little gummed up. Suki pulled hard and the door slammed into the frame, followed by a startled "Whoop!"

Looking around, Suki tried to find the source of the noise.

"Careful with those doors. You're shaking the rafters." The voice called out and Suki looked up. Ty Lee was walking down a large beam toward the edge of the ceiling and Suki felt a wave of secondhand terror. But Ty Lee clambered down, still in her uniform, with ease and Suki sighed as she walked over to the next door.

"Did you get overwhelmed?" Suki asked as Ty Lee came over to assist. Ty Lee shrugged and stared at her hands as they pulled the door closed.

"It was a lot of fun." She said and Suki let out a soft breath.

"You know, if you're homesick-" She started but paused as Ty Lee looked over, confused.

"I'm not homesick." She said.

"Well, I mean, you've just been, you know…" Suki sputtered as Ty Lee stared at her. "Down?"

"Oh! Oh. Yeah…" Ty Lee trailed off and receded into herself.

"Is everything okay Ty Lee?" Suki asked.

"Everything's fine!" Ty Lee perked up and her face was flushed. "The other girls are great and the people in town are really nice to me. Only…"

"Only?" Suki prompted.

"Do you ever call one of the girls the wrong name?" Ty Lee asked.

"When they're in makeup? All the time at first, now it's only if I'm in a hurry. Why?" Suki replied.

"Because I called myself the wrong name when I walked past a mirror." Ty Lee answered. Suki sighed and they went to close the next door.

"Maybe you need a vacation. Get away from all this Kyoshi Warrior stuff." Suki said and Ty Lee balked.

"No! I don't want to go back to the Fire Nation!" She said and Suki chuckled.

"I don't mean there. We could go to the mainland, where there are some proper shops and things." Suki explained and Ty Lee relaxed.

"That would be great Suki, thanks." She said.

"Do you still keep in contact with anyone back in the Fire Nation?" Suki asked idly. She was always curious, having seen few missives arrive for Ty Lee in the time that she had lived there.

"Mai and I write occasionally. Usually she only does when she's upset with Zuko and then I respond. I hear from my parents now and again when they remember I exist." Ty Lee answered and Suki winced.

She'd have to stay away from the topic of family.


End file.
